Help with Roofing Hatchet

DeadFall27

DeadFall27

Joined
May 18, 2011
Messages
1,476
Hello everyone!

Lately, I have had the opportunity to try out new equipment and tools that I otherwise wouldnever have the opportunity to use nor the need. I have been volunteering at a local State Park and helping out the maintainance crew prepare for the beginning of their season. In my time their, I have been reminded of the usefulness of the axe and hatchet. I have never been too skilled with either, but now that I have been spending so much time using them, I really do not want to go back to the large chopping blades I had become fond of.

Just to try out something new, I picked up an Estwing Roofing hatchet to see if I could make it work for me; I am an avid backpacker and outdoor enthusiast who likes to keep things on the lighter and more compact side of things. I realize that this particular hatchet is not designed for woods work necessarily, but that is why I picked it up - to try something different. Just to fill you in on the duties that this little guy will be doing, I will be using it for chopping, de-limbing and very small splitting of kindling if needed. (The hammer is self-explanitory, right fellas? :D) Since the edge was...well, dull as heck, I have been working on it since last night. I am almost done getting rid of the blunt edge, but there is a problem - the head is wobbling.

I am very unsure as to what my course of action should be in terms of fixing the head wobble on this hatchet. I apologize for my lack of compitence and ineptness in the world of axes, hatchets and hawks; hopefully, that may change here soon. If I may ask, how should I go about fixing the wobble on the head of this hatchet? Should I make a new haft all together? Should I take out the wedge? Should I insert pins to tighten the head on there? :confused:

Here is a pic of the hatchet itself and one of the top (I really need to learn some termonology here)

Hatchet1.jpg

I really like the size and shape of this thing. I added paracord for a better grip.

Hatchet2.jpg

It seems to me that the darker portion seen at the top here could be a wooden wedge itself due to the differentiating color and grain pattern, but I could be wrong.


Thank you so much for reading. Any ideas, criticisms, etc. are more than welcome here. I am sorry to leave you guys right now, but I have to get back to work!!

Take care,

-Deadfall
 
Word of advice - leave the shingle hatchets to shingles, and get yourself a good hatchet for backpacking.
 
Agreed. And if you're going to go Estwing I suggest the Rigger's Axe. That one's a lot more suitable for woods work.
 
You could try soaking the top of the eye in boiled linseed oil. It may cause the wood to expand enough to fix your wobble. I like your idea of trying out a roofing hatchet in the woods, but unless you have a lot of experience with a woods hatchet it will be hard to make any comparisons or conclusions. If you go backpacking with other people it might be fun to get one of them to bring a woods hatchet and then as a group you could test out both hatchets.
 
You could try this. Remove your paracord wrap, hold the hammer upside down and smack the handle with another hammer or preferably a deadblow mallet. This should tighten the head up. You might have to file or shave some wood below the head if you cant get it to seat deeper.
Now take a 1/4 drill bit and drill a hole in the handle in the front and back at the top of the handle where it goes thru the head. Sometimes I even rock it back and forth a little to create a bigger hole. You only need to go 1/2" deep.
Now mix up some thin(runny)epoxy and pour it in the holes.
I have done this to several hammers and hatchets and had great success.
 
Operator1975
Word of advice - leave the shingle hatchets to shingles, and get yourself a good hatchet for backpacking.
Click to expand...

Definitely get ya on that one, but like I said, I am experimenting; I have been in project mode lately. I actually took the hatchet out a few minutes ago for a test run; this thing is doing way better than anticipated! I now have a new stack of fatwood to add to my collection! I hope I do not sound like the OP that does not listen to anything you guys say, I am just playing around with ideas :)

FortyTwoBlades
Agreed. And if you're going to go Estwing I suggest the Rigger's Axe. That one's a lot more suitable for woods work.
Click to expand...

I actually was looking at that axe myself but, for some reason, something didn't sit right with me. Maybe it was reason :p

trailmaker
You could try soaking the top of the eye in boiled linseed oil. It may cause the wood to expand enough to fix your wobble. I like your idea of trying out a roofing hatchet in the woods, but unless you have a lot of experience with a woods hatchet it will be hard to make any comparisons or conclusions. If you go backpacking with other people it might be fun to get one of them to bring a woods hatchet and then as a group you could test out both hatchets.
Click to expand...

It's funny that you should say that since my buddy and I were thinking about comparing his hatchets with the one I just picked up! I have used a few hatchets in the past, but relative to my experience with using other tools, it is not much time at all. I guess I could say that I have enough experience to use them comfortably, but I don't have enough to say I am truly adept with a hatchet. I really like that idea with the linseed oil btw; about how long should it be soaked for the best results?

spike116
You could try this. Remove your paracord wrap, hold the hammer upside down and smack the handle with another hammer or preferably a deadblow mallet. This should tighten the head up. You might have to file or shave some wood below the head if you cant get it to seat deeper.
Now take a 1/4 drill bit and drill a hole in the handle in the front and back at the top of the handle where it goes thru the head. Sometimes I even rock it back and forth a little to create a bigger hole. You only need to go 1/2" deep.
Now mix up some thin(runny)epoxy and pour it in the holes.
I have done this to several hammers and hatchets and had great success.
Click to expand...

I think that this may be a a wonderful fix! However, I am having a little trouble visualizing what you mean by drill in the front and back at the top of the handle. Are you saying to drill down in the direction towards the bottom of the handle?



Thank you for the responses guys!!
 
I would probably take it off and start over with a new wooden wedge. But that might be over kill for most. At least for now, I would put a small steel wedge in. Right in the middle of the wedge, and perpendicular to it. That way if the steel wedge does any unintended damage (ie cause a split) it will only damage the wedge and you can just replace the wooden wedge. Like this:

Hatchet2.jpg


I've found that small hatchets, due to the short eye length, are by far more prone to getting splits in the handle caused by perpendicular wedges than full size axes.
 
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If you aren't going to be using the hatchet any time soon you could just soak in oil for a few days. It still might not work but you won't have invested much time if it doesn't.
 
M3mphis said:
I would probably take it off and start over with a new wooden wedge. But that might be over kill for most. At least for now, I would put a small steel wedge in. Right in the middle of the wedge, and perpendicular to it. That way if the steel wedge does any unintended damage (ie cause a split) it will only damage the wedge and you can just replace the wooden wedge. Like this:

Hatchet2.jpg


I've found that small hatchets, due to the short eye length, are by far more prone to getting splits in the handle caused by perpendicular wedges than full size axes.
Click to expand...

Think something like this would work too?
Hatchet3.jpg
 
Maybe. Not sure. I've pulled all kinds of random nails and things out of eyes before. You probably would need to shorten them puppies down.
 
M3mphis said:
Maybe. Not sure. I've pulled all kinds of random nails and things out of eyes before. You probably would need to shorten them puppies down.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, of course!. I just thought I would ask if the idea of using something like that as a wedge would be safe.
 
if you go to a hardware store you can get little steel wedges about 3/8" wide and about 1/2 to 5/8" long, could put one in front and one in back of round wedge in line with the wooden wedge,


Oh and when did Estwing start selling wooden handled hatchets?

If you can find it at the hardware, the sell a product to tighten handles and chair rungs and the like called Swell Lock or Swell and Lock. A small bottle is around 5 bucks. put some on the end of the handle in the eye area, it will soak in and expand the wood to increase tightness, it must be some kind of glycol like substance, it doesn't seem to evaporate. some people use anti freeze for this also, but not my thing.


Pat
 
omniviking said:
if you go to a hardware store you can get little steel wedges about 3/8" wide and about 1/2 to 5/8" long, could put one in front and one in back of round wedge in line with the wooden wedge,


Oh and when did Estwing start selling wooden handled hatchets?

If you can find it at the hardware, the sell a product to tighten handles and chair rungs and the like called Swell Lock or Swell and Lock. A small bottle is around 5 bucks. put some on the end of the handle in the eye area, it will soak in and expand the wood to increase tightness, it must be some kind of glycol like substance, it doesn't seem to evaporate. some people use anti freeze for this also, but not my thing.


Pat
Click to expand...

hmmm...I like that too! My only concern with steel wedges is - wouldn't the difference in materials (wood, being soft and steel, very hard) may loosen up and not be as effective in the long run?

As for when Estwing began to offwer wooden handles, I am not sure; this was the only one I saw with a wooden handle from Estwing. I gotta say though, the wooden handle and the shape of the head really appeals to me more than any other of their offerings.
 
They've been making the SureStrike series for a while now. A few years at least.
 
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